Oliver Battershall

The Long Goodbye (1973) 3/5
This really didn’t do as much for me as I was expecting. The plot feels disjointed with a sequence of events that just don’t fit together in a satisfying way like a noir mystery should. Gould’s main character seems to be the intended focus of the film rather than the plot itself. At first I was fond of him and his quirks, but along the way I started to feel he was a little too acerbic to be cool and too up himself to be likeable. I have to say I did find him a bit of a guilty pleasure at times though, especially in his moments of tragicomedy. His occasionally pathetic antics redeem this, along with a fun soundtrack and a solid final act.

Predator (1987) 3.5/5
By far my favourite thing about this film is the Predator itself. It’s got a cool and unique design, gorgeous invisibility CGI, a fatal flaw that actually makes sense, and an undeniable personality even without dialogue. I loved its interactions with Arnie in the final act, and how you could see both of their complete and utter lacks of fear in battle. This film borrows elements from the slasher genre really seamlessly, but knows when to differentiate itself into pure testosterone-fuelled action. Although at times it really suffered from that age-old action movie trope of the dialogue being way quieter than the action. Especially in that first half, the volume buttons on my remote were taking a hell of a beating.

Annie Hall (1977) 3.5/5
To an extent I can understand why some people can’t get on board with this film and Woody Allen’s whole thing. It reminded me a lot of Fellini’s 8½ in its autobiographical portrayal of a dysfunctional artist and their odd interactions with the society and people around them. Though, unlike 8½ which I personally found quite tedious and smarmy (don’t shoot me), there was something about this that grew on me as it went on. It balances out the pretentious moments with a sense of self-deprecation and absurdity that seemed mostly genuine and charming to me. It makes sense since that’s such an essential element of Jewish humour, although I’d say Allen is at his best when ridiculing the modern world around him rather than looking inward. This was just my second watch of his after Zelig a while ago which I thought was great. I’d be interested to see what those who dislike this would think of that since it’s not at all autobiographical.

Almost Famous (2000) 5/5
In what can only be described as the bravest move a cinephile can make, I ventured right to the cobweb-laden depths of my watchlist to find the movie that’s been on there the longest, and landed on this. Turned out to be a great move. This is the perfect deconstruction of 70s rock culture and fandom. It simultaneously critiques and romanticises, hits playful notes and insightful ones, and rolls a myriad of heavy themes into something that seems much more light-hearted and digestible than the sum of its parts. I particularly loved the main character, and I think there’s something of him in many of us born after a certain time. Peeling back the layers of this mythic rock culture and realising it’s all a veneer. Glad I watched the extended version, real shades of Boogie Nights here.

Oldboy (2003) 5/5
The Broadway Cinema monthly mystery film (usually) never misses! I saw this for the first time about 4 years ago right when I was first trying to get into movies as a desperate attempt to cope with lockdown, and I’d say it was the first film that I truly thought was perfect. It was really nice not just to accidentally revisit this but to also love it just as much this time. Everything from the lively editing to the soundtrack to the twisted characters adds up to something really captivating and unforgettable. That corridor fight scene is STILL peak cinema. Also somehow I’d forgotten the twist so that was fun!

Megalopolis (2024) 2/5
I had a feeling that regardless of how much I liked this it was going to be crazy enough to get me through on bewildered laughter alone. And I was right! This really was bad. You can tell it’s been an idea in Coppola’s head for however many decades, it tries to be the kind of film that defines not just his mind but our very present and future as a human race/culture. But the script is painfully bad, the plot is jumbled and unengaging, and the CGI of the vague futuristic visions of the future feel right out of those camp 2000’s kids films like Spy Kids or Speed Racer. The plot is less of a plot and more just a mishmash of half-baked ideas and attempted grand statements about humanity by way of Ancient Roman allusions. With all due respect to Coppola, he really should’ve packed it in about 30 years ago.